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# Wednesday
- URL: https://thedailyeudemon.com/46932/
- Published: 2018-09-05T06:29:50.000Z
- Updated: 2018-09-05T06:29:50.000Z
- Author: Eric Scheske
- Tags: Miscellaneous, #wpChunk

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ea/fd/eafdb338-c9b6-4f87-8363-78ab94cc3a18/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Miscellaneous-Photo-225x300.jpg "Miscellaneous Photo")

Miscellaneous Rambling

![Ceiling. Trastevere](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ea/fd/eafdb338-c9b6-4f87-8363-78ab94cc3a18/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Ceiling.-Trastevere-225x300.jpg)

The whole priestly abuse thing, [a summary to date](https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/benedict-vigan-francis-and-mccarrick-where-things-stand-on-nuncios-allegations-42199?ref=thedailyeudemon.com). Handy reference. Pope Francis, meanwhile, has asked those who seek division [to opt for "prayer and silence."](http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/09/03/popes-remedy-to-those-seeking-scandal-prayer-and-silence.html?ref=thedailyeudemon.com) Part of me says that makes sense. Another part of me says silence is an odd admonition coming from a Pope who made constant communication--Tweets, plane interviews, etc.--the hallmark of his Papacy. Yes, he's the Pope and we're the people so different standards apply, but it would've helped if he led, just a little bit, by example.

![Ceiling. Trastevere](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ea/fd/eafdb338-c9b6-4f87-8363-78ab94cc3a18/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Ceiling.-Trastevere-225x300.jpg)

Both links above, btw, were courtesy of The Loop at [Catholic Vote](https://www.catholicvote.org/?ref=thedailyeudemon.com). It's an excellent daily email.

![Ceiling. Trastevere](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ea/fd/eafdb338-c9b6-4f87-8363-78ab94cc3a18/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Ceiling.-Trastevere-225x300.jpg)

Bizarre occurrence: On the way to Boston, I sat next to a professor of political philosophy. Super amiable fellow, which I found surprising. He was heading out to a conference, where he was going to discuss his work on Plato's *Letters*, with emphasis on what exactly Plato was trying to accomplish [in Syracuse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato?ref=thedailyeudemon.com#Later%5Flife). We talked about *The Republic* a bit, and he assured me there was no way Plato meant his ideas to be taken literally ("Banish everyone over the age of ten? He of course didn't mean that"--not an exact quote). After the plane landed, we parted with a wave. And then that evening, while riding the MBTA subway to my B&B, a young man was reading Plato's *Republic* directly across from me. Two Plato *Republic* sightings in one day. I can't say that's ever happened before. It's enough to make me take Allan Bloom's modern classic off the shelf.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ea/fd/eafdb338-c9b6-4f87-8363-78ab94cc3a18/content/images/widgets/q.jpeg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ea/fd/eafdb338-c9b6-4f87-8363-78ab94cc3a18/content/images/e/ir.gif)

  
![Ceiling. Trastevere](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ea/fd/eafdb338-c9b6-4f87-8363-78ab94cc3a18/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Ceiling.-Trastevere-225x300.jpg)

The professor? He just gave me his first name: Ariel. But there aren't many Ariels who teach political philosophy at Wayne State, so I was able to find him easily enough. He's Ariel Helfer, author of *Socrates and Alcibiades: Plato's Drama of Political Ambition and Philosophy*. Based on the Amazon description, and Helfer's position that Plato was not proposing some tyrannical utopia in *The Republic*, I'm wondering if I was sitting next to a libertarian fellow traveler of sorts. I'm going to email him to find out.